I have a new job!

On Tuesday I started a new job working at the Lyndhurst Centre (a part of Toronto Rehab). I'm working with people who have had a spinal cord injury - the same population I was working with in Nepal. My new job is as a Rehab Engineer in the Assistive Technology Centre, helping those with limited or no hand function use computers. I have been learning all about voice recognition software and special mice to help people access all the many things we do on computers as part of day to day life here in Canada (the first picture on the right of the Lyndhurst website shows someone using one of the special interface devices). It's a pretty neat fit, combining my engineering background with my clinical experience in Nepal. And I feel very grateful to have such a good job so quickly after returning home.

There's a ton of things to learn for the new job, and I'm definitely feeling culture shock at being in a hospital setting in Canada compared to in Nepal. It's much faster paced, and the number of different ways we are required to keep records is impressive - I have to track my time with clients on three different computerized databases! And there is no time to sit for tea in the morning and afternoons. I did notice one thing on my first day though - I could understand the lunchtime chatter - something that was difficult to do even at the end in Nepal. Here I was understanding everyone on my first day - it's nice to be working in my mother tongue again!

The job went from application to starting in two and a half weeks, and getting that sorted, along with various presentations about my time in Nepal, has kept me from blogging much. I will post pictures and recipes from my Nepali dinner at Redeemer as promised, hopefully soon.

I am loving seeing all the leaves turn colours this year - I missed fall last year. I did however, have trouble adjusting to the cold snap that made early Oct as cold as midwinter in Nepal! And after being rather homesick at Thanksgiving last year, it was a delight to be here to celebrate it with family this year. Games, walks at the family farm, singing hymns and lots of good food and laughter - so wonderful to live close enough to be part of these family times again! More pics from our fun weekend together here.

It's funny though, despite loving these great things about being home again, I'm feeling homesick for Nepal now too. Just the reality of moving from place to place I suppose, and leaving pieces of yourself behind with communities of people that have become part of you. I guess being thankful for good things can be bittersweet when they are far away!